A small whitebait (snetok in Russian) often found in Pskov rivers and lakes, gave its name to one of the oldest functioning women's monasteries in Pskov. The Snetogorsky Monastery was founded in the 13th century on the high bank of the Velikaya River, almost at the very top of the Snyatnaya /Holy/ Hill (Snyatnaya Gora). The monastery was rebuilt many times, destroyed and rebuilt again.
The oldest church of the Snetogorsky Monastery – the stone cathedral of Nativity of Holy Virgin was built in 1311. The walls of the cathedral, decorated with frescoes, are recognized as a unique monument of ancient Russian painting. Praying on the territory of the monastery is possible in the active Church of St. Nicholas. The survived to this day fragments of the famous 63-meter bell tower, which is known as the Snetogorskaya candle, also cause interest.